Progress report on the construction of
“Blue Thunder II”
As of February 28, 2009
Last
month I said that we will have the instrument
panel installed, the circuit board controlling
the landing gear, prop governor, and fuel valve
to show you and a new deal with Hartzell to
advertise. Well, two and a half out of three is
not too bad.
We have a working prototype of the circuit board
for that controls the fuel valve. The package
for the board is a plastic box for
installation. Two switches control the valve,
one for off and on, one for left and right.
We have tested our instrument panel drawing by
using a CNC router to cut an acrylic panel to
insure all the instruments, lights and switches
fit with appropriate clearance. The real panel
should be cut by next week.
We have our agreement with Hartzell for a
special propeller for Blue Thunder II. It will
be pretty much a stock prop except for some tip
modifications. We hope to see it in about six
weeks and I will be touting the Hartzell props
forever.
Meanwhile,
back in the shop, we have been working on the
auto pilot servo installations; rudder pedal
mountings, the solenoid bank, and the spring
balance trim system.
Jim Griswold, who was the mastermind behind the
Piper Malibu and the designer of the Questair
Venture, designed the trim system.
I
do not have a picture of the solenoid bank
mounted on the wing, but they hook to cables
that release the inner gear doors and the up
locks. There is an extension on each cable for
a manual release in event of an electrical
failure.
As
I mentioned before, the rudder pedals are Cessna
parts using Matco master brake cylinders with
individual brake fluid reservoirs. The brakes
are fully operational at this point. There
should be just enough legroom for the Chubby
Little Pilot.
We are ready to start painting some of the
individual parts, but just how far we get on
that next month, I am not sure. If there are
any volunteers interested in doing some
painting, give me a call.
The fuselage is ready to be attached to the wing
but will probably be removed at least a couple
of times as we fine-tune the trim system and
control cables.
As always, the Blue Crew is eternally grateful
for the continued support of our fans and
sponsors. Stay tuned for the March progress
report.
John Parker
Blue
Thunder Air Racing
